TIRANA, Dec. 18 – The country’s President Ilir Meta finds himself at odds once again with the Socialist majority and Prime Minister Edi Rama this week, as the parliamentary economy committee rejected Meta’s decree returning the 2019 Budget to parliament for revision.
Minister of Finance Arben Ahmetaj was reported saying the existing laws are offering enough solutions for protesting students, so there is no need for budget interventions and changes.
“The government is waiting for students to sit and establish dialogue with the Prime Minister in order for them to gain not just their eight demands, but an entire national plan that will lead to a long-term solution instead of an ad-hoc one,” Ahmetaj said.
Local media also reported the parliamentary economy committee will ask during the following parliamentary session to also overthrow Meta’s other decree proposing judge Vitore Tusha as the head of the Supreme State Audit.
According to socialist MPs, Tusha is engaged with the new justice bodies being established under the country’s reform that will deal with appointments, while SP MP Erion Braà§e said Tusha lacks the experience to run the SSA as she comes from a career in the judiciary.
Last Thursday, driven by the university students’ protests ongoing for more than ten days now, Meta publicly announced he has decided to return the 2019 Budget draft law back to the parliament to revise, only a few days after the same parliamentary majority approved it.
“The President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, attentively following the latest political situation in the country, as well as assessing the broad public consensus on student demands, which are considered by all political actors as fair, legitimate and feasible, aiming at everyone’s best interest in meeting the social objectives set forth in Article 59 of the Constitution, as well as in guaranteeing stability in the country, by decree no. 10997, dated 13.12.2018, has decided on the “Return to the Assembly for review of law no.99 / 2018 ‘On the 2019 Budget’, for its review,” read the Presidency announcement.
Meta also expressed his conviction last week the Albanian parliament would take this chance to reflect on a comprehensive cooperation in order to meet the students’ and the public interest demands.
Both of Meta’s decrees will go under the vote in the next parliamentary session, on Thursday.
